It was so hard to leave them! We love you!! We got on I80 and headed west. Our next stop was Blair NE. We were looking for a quilt shop when 2Rs spied a Goodwill. I almost got whiplash from her squealing into the parking lot! A great Goodwill--I bought a bread machine, a heated footbath and Corning Ware. I love to collect CorningWare! Some new to me pieces--

A coffee pot, a large loaf pan and an unusually shaped bowl--

It has markings for measuring on the inside, two pouring lips and a "ear" for a handle. New to me, I've never seen one like this, have you?? After rearranging our purchases we stopped at the local quilt shop. Yes, more sale fabric! By now we were shopped out. And our wallets were definitely lighter. So we headed northwest to pick up 2Rs mother Lavonne. Not much room in the car, I volunteered to tie Lavonne on the roof and she threatened to smack me with her cane. We got everything in and made it to my camper where LOTS of bags were unloaded. One bag of fabric hid in a corner under the seat and rode to Iowa--I think it wanted to go to the football game with 2Rs and play with her new kitten. She said she will stuff it in an envelope no matter how much it complains and mail it to my Mailbox.

We got up bright and early to eat breakfast at the motel. Of course we met more quilters! How much fun is that??!! We compared notes on fabric stores. If you are wondering where we were going--it was Missouri Star in Hamilton Missouri! When we planned our trip we did not know it was their 8th anniversary birthday bash. Lots of people, but quilters are VERY POLITE so it was all good. We went in all their shops, petted lots of fabric. What I really wanted was a t-shirt, I bought this one--

FQs were $.88 with a limit of 50, I made sure 2Rs and I bought 50!! I saw quilters with pink shirts from Wisconsin--I had to talk to them, they are in the same guild as Paula.

There is great artwork in Hamilton--this is the mural on the side of a building--

The main shop was crowded but did snap a picture of 2Rs checking out--she is on the left--

Even though the stores were very busy checking out was easy--they are very organized.

After a full morning of fun we ate lunch and hit the road again. More quilt stores to check out and then up I35 to Des Moines. We stopped to meet Gladys of the Iowa Pig Farm on Stashbusters. Her "Floor" is always complaining about the pins she sticks in it while basting quilts and how she is always sitting on it. We felt sorry for the Floor--we thought it needed a little first aid--

A box of band aids! As much as he complains (one stashbuster said it HAD to be male) we should have brought two boxes. Poor Floor! Here is an excerpt of a post from "The Floor"--

It seems that there has been some speaking up going on the list the
last couple of days, It is good to know that I am not the only one to
have a voice...'
The mailing box that Liz has told the tale of its travels, and
Lori 1r's mail box confirmed its arrival, along with telling us what else
Lori 1r has been receiving.... I hope she wasn't trying to keep any of'
those purchases a secret....
So how are the rest of you being treated ???
Does she leave you turned on MR. IRON, ?? I hope you have auto
shutoff !!
And how are you MIZ Rotary Cutter, is she pushing harder and harder
on you ??? Maybe you can sneak in a new blade tonight...
I heard a lot of thumping coming from over Illinois way.... was it you
MRS. sewing machine needle ??? ... I hope she will replace you soon..
Grandma cutting mat you sure are looking scarred and fuzzy... maybe if
you whine a little she will get a new one and just use you to lay blocks
out on, or at least wash the fuzz out of your scars.... '
The families of shelves all over are the world are bearing some mighty
heavy loads.... and I am afraid that nothing will change until a few of
you bow in the centers, or completely collapse....
Vacuums of the world unite and quit working until she changes the bag,
or empties the dust container... and washes the filters ...
.then when she tries you again just purr along and clean those floors..
And you long forgotten piggies try to work your self to the edge of the shelf
and then just tumble off and scatter all over.... maybe then she will look at
you and give you some of the attention that you are craving...
And to all of piles of fabric's left out on tables and floors, fade a little on
your edges, just to make her remember that fabric should be stored out
of the sun that comes into the studio and burns you in the afternoons...
You threads can break a few times, and then maybe that will trigger the
the fact that you are also getting too much sun and light....
I don't like being stuck with pins, and having my air cut off, but you tables
are suffering also with that tape being used on you, what a wax job !!!'
and now they are all getting those hard heavy clamps to use on you..
I feel your pain.... 'This is the time for you all to stand up and cause a
change in your living environment..... nothing will change unless you
cause it to.... Try to get on the putter while she is busy and tell us you
tale of woe... we MUST UNITE FOR BETTER TREATMENT

"The Floor"
at the Iowa Farm Report Center

Oh dear--I hope they don't unite and revolt!

We also stopped to surprise Pat & Randy who work at Saylorville this year--

Last week 2Rs and I road tripped! Oh we had fun! Our first stop was at Dee's in Columbus NE--

2Rs showed Dee how to make a microwave bowl holder--

Chicken fabric! I love chicken fabric! Excellent choice Dee!

2Rs and I posed in front of Dee's stash--look at those neat shelves! We stayed overnight with Dee (thank you Dee) and continued on the next morning. We were doing the Nebraska Passport Stamp. There are 80 places of interest--we needed to stop at 10 to qualify for a t-shirt. This was so much fun! A bar/restraurant called Black Cow Fat Pig had excellent wild rice/turkey soup--made from scratch An Coffee shop in the basement of an old hotel that was now apartments--great coffee, a cherry turnover and it was decorated with original artwork and art deco style. We stopped at Boys Town in Omaha and saw the largest ball of stamps--

and a wonderful museum with lots to see. I need to go back--it was that interesting! We also stopped at Lewis and Clark Missouri River Visitors Center in Nebraska City. They have a scale model of the keelboat Lewis & Clark used in 1804.

The original boat was 55 foot long. Pretty big to drag up river in low water and swampy marshes and sand bars. Other stops were a home decorating store, a state college library, the windmill museum, and of course the Lewis & Clark Visitor Center where i volunteer.

Of course we stopped at several quilt shops--my favorite was Fabric Traditions in Fremont NE. They were so helpful and organized. When you had fabric cut or they saw you carrying FQs they offered to put it in "your basket".

Your name went on your basket and you could put things in it as you shopped. I shopped the 50 and 60% off rack. Even some FQs were 50% off. If you ever get close be sure and stop. We eventually ended up in Cameron Missouri. where we spent the night.

Oh, I've had fun this week!! Lorri2Rs and I road tripped. We went to Missouri Star in Hamilton Missouri. When we planned the trip we hadn't realized it was their 8th Birthday celebration. Lots of people and it was SO MUCH FUN!! FQs were $.88 with a limit of 50. I made sure we both bought 50! We stopped at several shops along the way. 2Rs thought for sure I had bought 100 yards but I didn't. So here are my new numbers--

Stash in 79.25 yards

Stash in YTD 345.00 yards

Stash out--16 yards

Stash out YTD--95 yds

Stash is ahead 234 yds!

Okay--laugh if you must!! I only paid full price on FOUR yards. The 74 FQs from Missouri Star @.88. 17 other FQs were on sale, some were $1, some 1.50. The yardage averaged $4 a yard. All from sale racks! I bought "with purpose" and not willy nilly. (well, there were a few fun purchases). Lots of black & red for a quilt this winter--my stash lacked those colors, especially black. I can use gray and dark blue so picked up some of them too. Lots of browns, I always use brown and it flies out of my stash as fast as it comes in. And I shopped "boy quilt" borders, binding, and backing. 10 yards was a solid black and 5 yards a dark blue for backgrounds. (These came in the mail--Country Solids from JoAnns). I think I am stocked up for now, I can happily sew all winter. I doubt I'll be in the black at the end of the year but that's okay, my stash had holes in it.

And I can report a finish for 16 yards--

80X100 for 16 yards. I will give it as a QOV. The pattern is Star Struck by Bonnie Hunter--a few pattern. Thank you Bonnie! I used just one red but the rest is from my scrap stash. The whole top was done "point and sew" no drawing of lines. If you look closely you will find chopped off points or other "personalizations". Not quite enough of the border fabric so it needed cornerstones. Controlled color quilts test my patience, I become bored with them. But--this one is DONE DONE!! Woohoo! Please see everyone's stash report at Patchwork Times.

1R has been neglecting me. Ken picked up the mail on Saturday and there was a box--and I don't know what's in it! 1R at least took pictures of what was in the wonderful smelly package from Vic. But this one--is it a secret? I tell you, I'm going to pout until she tells me what was in it!!

1Rs isn't here November-April or so. Its vacation for me. Luckily I am not lonely, I'm in a row of mailboxes so we chat all the time--I'm the one leaning on the left, 1Rs promised me an update next year.

I overlook a restraurant/beer/bait place--

That place is JUMPIN' on the weekends! Loud music and the parking lot is full of vehicles! They have a billboard that "moves"--

Saturday the weather was beautiful and I cut parts for "Pieces of Eight" outside--

No bugs, only a slight breeze--it was heaven! Pieces of Eight is by Victoria Eapen and I found it in this book--

Here is a picture of the quilt--

I'm making it with 20 blocks--72"x90"--boy quilt size. Vic from NH sent me a large package of FQs and Vic--I'm slicing them up!! Thank you Vic!! Please see everyone's design wall posts at Patchwork Times.

No goals this week. Its going to be a busy week. Road trip with 2Rs. More on that when we get back.

Other than lots of rain (4.10" on Thursday) life is pretty quiet. The rain delayed plans I had to cut a new project. There isn't a large surface to cut on the camper and I was going to cut outside on a picnic table. Instead I stayed inside, did a little sewing and lots of drinking coffee and reading!

Its based on the Pattern "All in a Row" by Kim Diehl. 78"x94" and 13 yards used. Red/white/blue and I'm giving it as a QOV to a Vietnam Vet.

Saturday my Mailbox was very happy! There was a package from New Hampshire in it--

filled with 31 FQs from Vic! Thank you Vic! These will become a "boys" quilt--I have a pattern picked. Vic looked through her amazing stash for FQs that would fit--nothing too girly. It will be easy to make a top with them. I will add a little more green and brown and neutral. Yup, those FQs won't last long! The smelly was sachets Vic makes. They smell so good! Please see everyone's design wall posts at Patchwork Times.

Saturday morning there was a hummingbird on my feeder when I got up. He must have gotten chilled, he sat there motionless, even when I walked past him. I stopped for a photo--

He was gone when I checked later, he must have warmed up. He better think about heading south, its going to get COLD here.

Weekly Goals--

Arrowhead blocks

Borders on two tops

Bricks & Stepping Stones

Double 4 Patch

DSS top

Lime Green Dinosaur borders

Its a busy week. I'm not sure if I will get to sew with the Hawarden Sweat Shop ladies this weekend. And its another busy volunteer schedule this week.

Summer is winding down, kids are in school. The soybeans are turning color and soon it will be harvest.

Hah--not much sewing this week! I did get Apple Crisp and another top to the "needing borders" stage. The Lime Green Dinosaurs are that far too.

Its been more SHOPPING than anything! Tuesday we went to Heart & Hand in Sioux City, I had the print below but needed a narrow border and a binding.

The purple will be the narrow inner border and the brown the binding.

Last week Lorri2Rs and I shopped at Four Seasons in Yankton. They had the perfect fabric--

Look at those chocolates and raspberries! I love it! Perfect for a new start called "Chocolates on my Pillow" by Mimi Dietrich. It uses browns, pinks and cream. Won't that fabric be perfect for borders??

Recently #1 Grandson had his eighth birthday--from this--

to this--

From peanut size to an electric scooter! Happy 8th Birthday Mason!!

Maxwell (Grandson #3) is growing like a weed too! The requisite "bug" photo--

We don't see them that often but there was a walking stick outside the Visitor Center on a bench.